The International Lignin Institute (ILI) is an international professional association, created in 1992, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

ILI is primarily functioning as a Networking Organization more, supporting its members and the cause of lignin. ILI is guided by the vision of a future technology for a multi-product conversion of alternative lignocellulosic plants in environmentally proper cyclic processes where lignin is a major product, used at highest possible value.

Among its many activities for the promotion of lignin, ILI prepares Documentation and Internet data for bringing together the dispersed information on lignin in one point (for example with the Thematic Online Newsletter more and with its collection of analytical protocols more ). There is also a collection of printed publications called ILI Series more .

All ILI activities are conceived in a way to address as much the interests of Industry and Companies (existing and potential lignin producers, existing and potential lignin users) as of the Scientific Communities in Research and Development.

Lignin Producers (existing or potential) profit particularely from the promotion of their products and samples to other research groups but also from the general promotion of lignin increasing the value of their products by our focussed promotion of the lignin field in general. They receive also all the members information regarding possible new outlets of the their products, analytical topics (Standardisation!) and all the others described on this page. They should in any case support our organisation in view of improved future development of existing and new lignin markets.

Lignin Users (existing or potential) can take profit of our organisation by getting support for start up of new projects (see New Researchers below and Definition of Research Content above), but also for improvement of existing products and research, as well as all the other points described on this page, including sampling, the Online Newsletter and progress in analytical methods.

For each new Company Member, we are available for special support of 5 hours work (consultancy by email, phone or others) at the beginning of the membership.

Research Organisations should become members for improving of the internal efficiency of their Scientists regarding new research (new PhDs for example) and the general accessibility to new information and lignin specific databases (Online newsletter). The take profit also of sampling, analytical method coordination, project promotion and all the other points mentionned on this page.

ILI continuously collects information about new project ideas of its members for Project Promotion. Every member can submit a file with his competences and project proposals for new research. A page on the internal netpage making all these project files available to members is under preparation.

ILI supports its members in the Definition of Research Content by defining stratetic development lines and by giving personalised advice. This can be for internal research but also complete sets of lignin research packages are available for coordinators of Biorefinery or other project submittals that are looking for attractive research slots in the lignin field (project content and partners) as a complement for their project. For the recommendation of partner contacts, priority is of course given to members.

A particular emphasis is given to prepare data allowing Simplified Access to Lignin Complexity for New Researchers more (PhDs, Postdocs, other Scientists in research organisations or industry) in order to quickly and efficiently learn about the main issues in the lignin field which would otherwise be very difficult and time consuming. Summary documents are available on production (industrial lignin isolation, fractionation, chemical modification), analytical issues and applications. Updates on Recent Progress are continuously published on the Thematic Online Newsletter more and on other password protected internet pages available exclusively for members.

Taylor Made Advices are available to new researchers, by email or other means that don't involve travel etc. expenses. Also for non profit organsations and individuals this is available but only to a limited extend (time spent on the request) in relation with the moderate membership fee.

Various Reference Samples of lignin are available to ILI members as references for analytical testing or for research purposes. The EUROLIGNIN Round Robin Samples include a Soda lignin, a Kraft lignin, a Lignosulfonate and a Steam explosion lignin. These samples have been widely tested and documented. The Molar Mass Standard Samples are from a Soda lignin fractionated in four parts by ultrafiltration and are available for referencing and calibration of GPC systems. They have also been extensively analysed in the LignoAnalyse project.

For Research Samples, ILI has contacts with virtually all lignin producers in industry and research (all public biorefinery research project involving lignin are member of our umbrella programme). On request, Access to Commercial and Experimental Lignins is given to members, through personalised contact details and support for obtaining the samples.